The Countdown by Kimberly Derting

Series: The Taking (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Sci-fi Mystery/Romance

Subjects: abductions, abilities, aliens, government agencies, love, mystery

Setting: Western states, primarily Wyoming, Oregon, and California

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, past tense: Kyra Agnew (and also some chapters with Simon and Tyler’s POVs)

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 376 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “She may no longer be human…but she’s their only hope.

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she’s captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.”

My Review:  The Countdown is the amazing finale to The Taking trilogy. It’s got action, romance and aliens. It’s  perfect fro fans of the 5^th Wave by Rick Yancey, Caged by Meghan Shepherd, The Rules trilogy by Stacy Kade, The Host by Stephanie Meyer, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Unremembered by Jessica Brody, Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza, Blackout by Robison Wells, Rush (the Game Trilogy) by Eve Silver and any other Kimberly Derting book. Pretty much anything with aliens, or teens gaining superpowers. X-file fans, Fringe fans, fans.

SPOILERS AHEAD: If you haven’t read the Taking, or even it’s sequel, the Replaced, then don’t read this review.

At the beginning of the book, Kyra is on the run with her father and Tyler, the only other “Replaced” (their DNA is completely alien. They’re not hybrids like the Returned). They’ve been on the road for days, and every morning at dawn Kyra hear another number in her head, like a countdown and she becomes obsessed with that number all day, seeing it everywhere.

The 3 of them stop at a diner, and Kyra finally decides to tell Tyler about their past, and he walks away from her. Kyra is kidnapped by other Returned and her father, Tyler, Simon, Jett and the others have to find her. Tyler feels like he might sense her. He keeps dreaming of a map that appears to be a reverse star-chart. And this is only the beginning. Lots of awesome stuff happens in this book.

This final book does things a little differently. It’s spilt into 2 parts, but I think maybe the first 2 books were too. It’s not entirely Kyra’s point of view. There are chapters that are more like intermissions because they’re not part of the chapter count. Those intermissions are in a different font (san-serif) and are Simon’s or Tyler’s POV. I was really worried that Tyler was body-snatched at the end of the last book when he said “The Returned must die,” but were see that’s not the case and get his point of view. I like Simon, but I really was team Tyler all the way.

I’m happy with how the series ended, although I was confused with what happened at first. It was a good ended. This is the second series by Kimberly Derting that I’ve completed. I gotta say she really knows how to write a series. I still haven’t read the Pledge, although a bought the whole series and had they all autographed by her. Kimberly’s a cool author. I met her three time. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Cover Art Review: Disappointing cover. The cover just kept getting less interesting.

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Paranormal/Horror

Subjects: monsters, supernatural, revenants, mystery, death, murderers, magic

Setting: Nebraska, Wyoming and Boulder, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Breezy Lin

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 358 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen

Summary/ product description: “Breezy remembers leaving the party: the warm, wet grass under her feet, her cheek still stinging from a slap to her face. But when she wakes up, scared and pulling dirt from her mouth, a year has passed and she can’t explain how.

Nor can she explain the man lying at her grave, dead from her touch, or why her heartbeat comes and goes. She doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past.

Haunted by happy memories from her life, Breezy sets out to find answers in the gritty, threatening world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight, and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she discovers is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.”

My Review: I had no idea what to expect from this book. I went in kind of blindly. I only read this because the supernatural elements. It had this broody atmospheric feeling from the start, when Breezy’s at a gas station in Nebraska and there’s summer storm in the distance. She can sense killers. They have a dark aura. Some young guy named Danny tells her about a church that could help her. She thinks that he think’s she a drug addict and homeless.

Breezy hitches a ride with an older guy that’s definitely a murderer. She knowingly enters a car with a murderer, which is dumb, unless you can heal really fast and not die. Breezy was dead for a year and returned with these abilities. And also, she can pull the memories out of the murders she finds, rendering them in a coma or dead. Breezy ditches the murderer and takes to the road by skateboard in search of this church. Since she doesn’t have to eat of sleep, she’s got plenty of time and energy.

The church turns out to be a cover for some anti-monster folks trying to cure the monsters of their afflictions. They say Breezy is unnatural and she ends up in a room with blood on the wall and another girl named rain who’s some kind of a monster. Breezy is able to get some answers from her, but Breezy still doesn’t know what she became when she rose from the dead. Answers don’t come until later.

Shallow Grave is pretty intriquing and unique, but it’s not the most exciting paranormal story. I enjoyed this interesting setting and some of the humor. I think Breezy’s scientific curiosity and love of astronomy is pretty awesome. She turn “ways I can’t die” into a morbid experiment. Breezy also mixed racial, half-Chinese, half-Irish and has 2 sisters named Sunny and Meadow. Interesting name choices.

There is mystery, but it’s not delivered in the best way. There’s no anticipation and not much build up. This book is only a standalone. I recommend this to fans of book like the Outliers, the Soul Screamers series, and other book with dark mysteries or monsters.

Cover Art Review: I like the watercolor texture of the sky and the creepy underground roots. It’s a simple and creepy brooding cover.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Contemporary Thriller/Romance

Subjects: survival, hostages, crime, winter, mystery, love, mystery

Setting: Wyoming

POV/Tense: 1^st person past tense: Britt

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 392 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover/Paperback

List Price: $18.99/$9.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster: BFYR

Summary/ product description: “Danger is hard to resist in this sexy thriller from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there…and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

“Rife with psychological twists exploring themes of revenge, misogyny, and familial duty” (Publishers Weekly), Black Ice is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…”

My Review:  Black Ice was so much better than I expected. I’m not usually into books without and sci-fi or paranormal stuff, but I do love a good mystery. Black Ice has the survival situation of a dystopian novel and a dark romance that’s to die for. Britt was planning on spending spring-break hiking in the Teton mountains of Wyoming with her friend Korbie.

When the weather takes a deadly turn on their way to Korbie’s family cabin, they exit the vehicle to seek shelter. One of the guys who are in the shelter they come was Mason, a guy Britt saw earlier at 7 Eleven and a friend of his. Britt ends up in a hostage situation, having to lead the guys out of the mountains or face death. It’s scary for her and she had to leave Korbie behind. Britt plans on finding help and escaping her captors, but it’s harder than she thought. The weather isn’t cooperating and she doesn’t have much supplies. Bad stuff happens and dark secrets unfold.

Black Ice is a perfectly thrilling winter read. I recommend reading it during a blizzard. It’s heart-pounding and page-turning. It’s the kind of book that would make you nervous. I don’t think I’d ever get in a situation like Britt has. I do kind of feel like she made some stupid decisions at the beginning. People should not go into the mountain to hike in March. I watch Prospectors on the Weather Channel and they say the snow is usually around through May. I love the setting of Wyoming. Unearthly is the only Wyoming series I’ve read. This book doesn’t show case the touristy side though. It shows the treacherousness of the mountain climate.

I’m happy I read this and would definitely recommend it. The romance seems like Stockholm syndrome, but it is kind of hot. If you love books about survival or murder and crime or mystery, it’s a must read. It reminds me of some movies like The Gray. There are animal attacks and hunting and all kinds of crazy stuff. I love Becca Fitzpatrick’s book. I still need to finish her Hush, Hush series though.

Cover Art Review: I think I prefer the newer cover, but the old is okay.